Mine
by TheFerociousHeart
Summary: Kim had no idea Peter wanted her to return to Beacon Hills because of Deucalion. Now the only thing she can do is trying to find a way to stop the man she once loved, but it's not as easy as it sounds to be. - Deucalion/OC, takes place after the one-shot 'Mate'. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** If you haven't read my one-shot '_Mate_' yet, please do.

* * *

**(July)**

When they reached the edge of the woods, Kim already knew where they were heading. She didn't say anything; there was no need to interrupt the carefree conversation she was having with Peter, especially not by mentioning the ruins of the once grandiose Hale house.

Kim remembered the days she had spent there all those years ago, before, but mainly after her father's death, waiting for her mother to arrive and take her home. Ever since those days, she had been keeping in contact with Peter, the creep she despised in the beginning but who turned out to be quite a good friend. Even after the fire she visited him in the institute once or twice a year, waiting for the day he came out of that catatonic state.

The car slowed down before finally stopping not far from the house. They both got out and walked up to the front door, standing in front of it in complete silence. Then Peter pointed at the door and said, "This is what I've been talking about."

Raising her eyebrows, Kim turned to the man. "It's a door," she stated.

"Thank you, Kim, but I'm perfectly aware of that."

"The freshly painted front door of the Hale house," she corrected herself. "Why are we here?"

"Because there was a symbol on it a few weeks ago," Peter explained with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Peter, can you be more specific?" The werewolf rolled his eyes as he pulled out his phone from the pocket of his jeans. It had only taken him a few seconds to finish whatever he was doing then showed Kim the doodle on the screen. "Oh, God, are we seriously going to play Draw Something?"

"This," he started, ignoring her question, "is the symbol of an alpha pack. They are here, possibly for Derek." Seeing her confused expression, Peter ran a hand through his hair. "It's an entire pack of Alphas. There are no Betas among them, and they are not exactly kind. Ever since we found this symbol on the door, we've been looking for them."

"We?"

"Derek, Isaac, me, and Stiles also helped out every once in a while."

She had no idea why it was important. There were four of them to deal with the Alphas, they had the Argents in Beacon Hills as well, so why would they need her from all people? It had been a while since she had last hunted - she wasn't even sure if she could still do it. "And why do you want me to come here and see this?"

"Because we found out who their leader is."

"Really?" she asked. "Do you have a name?"

Peter hesitated. He looked down at his feet, shifting his weight with his hands stuffed into his pockets. "Deucalion," he finally announced.

"No."

Deucalion. It couldn't be true; it wouldn't be fair to her to face him after all those years. The man she once had a stupid little schoolgirl crush on, the one who thought her most of the things she knew about werewolves, the one she didn't want to leave after he was blinded by a fellow hunter, and the one a part of her probably still loved. Or not, she wasn't sure about this one.

"It's him," the werewolf confirmed. "This is why I want you to help, because you know him better than any of us."

"I knew him, Peter, that's different," she corrected him.

He didn't believe her because he asked, "Are you sure?"

"Look, he changed more than I could handle. I should have known. Maybe he was a little bit afraid of himself back then, when he came to see me. And what did I do? I pushed him away."

"Wait, are you blaming yourself now?"

"No, it's just that," Kim started but couldn't finish the sentence. Of course a part of her was still blaming herself. After all, Deucalion had been there, sitting on her bed and waiting for her, utterly vulnerable at that moment. All he needed was a little push and she gave it to him the moment she sent him away. "I don't know. But what do you think I could do for you guys?"

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Talk to him?" When she gave him a hard look, he raised his hands. "Okay, we don't know yet," he admitted. "When the opportunity comes, we'll know."

"And then what? You call me to travel here ASAP?"

"Or you should just stay here. I have a spare room in my apartment."

It was such a ridiculous idea that at first she thought he was joking. But when he didn't laugh, she bit her lower lip and took a step back. "So I should move into your apartment? Peter, I believe I had a reason to call you Creep back then."

"We aren't teenagers anymore. What do you say?"

On second thought, it wasn't such a bad idea. "Fine, let's do it," she agreed. "But I don't want to talk to him until it's absolutely necessary."

And so they agreed, and a few days later she was living in Peter Hale's apartment.

* * *

**(August)**

Almost a month had passed and before she first talked to Chris Argent. Kim knew him well enough; her father was always talking about the younger Argent as a great talent, an expert of many things a hunter had to know.

They had met in a parking lot, out of sheer coincidence, but after a quite long chat over a coffee he invited her for lunch, and also planned to introduce her to his daughter. In the end Kim didn't meet the girl who was out with a friend of hers and the lunch passed with a series of stories from the past few years. Chris told her about his plan to keep themselves away from werewolves and hunting which ended in the young woman raising the glass of wine with a smile.

"Isn't it nice to have a normal life, one without werewolves and other creatures?" she asked before taking a sip of her drink.

"I'd call it weird, not nice. I'm not exactly used to normal," he admitted, his blue eyes on her.

Kim let out a carefree laugh. "Come on, admit that it's good. You don't necessarily have to worry about being killed, no late nights spent hunting in the woods, and you can also find yourself a new hobby."

"I don't know about you, Kim, but with all those werewolves around, it's not that easy to forget your old lifestyle. Maybe it'll take a few more weeks or maybe a few months."

She hated to admit it, but he was right and she could perfectly relate to that. With a long sigh, Kim ran a hand through her dark blond hair. "You see patterns and strange things everywhere, right?"

Chris flashed a knowing smile at her. "Did you quit?"

"Right after my father's death," she replied without hesitation.

After the lunch they agreed to meet again later, and hopefully even Allison would be able to join them. Kim didn't even try to hide the fact that she liked him since he was the one who had thought her a couple of pretty crazy but awesome things back when she came here with her father and Deucalion. Somewhere deep inside she thought of him as one of her mentors, and she knew that he was aware of that.

With a smile on her lips, she stepped out of the apartment.

The elevator's door opened and Kim's blood froze in her veins within a nanosecond. She had known he was in Beacon Hills, hell, this is why she agreed to stay for a while, but almost literally bumping into him so soon wasn't exactly what she expected. Silence ruled those moments while her mind was racing, but it was only her breathing and heartbeat that could give her away. After all, it had been long years since they last met, there was no way he could recognize her from there.

Kim slowly took a step back. Then another. Her gaze shifted to the right where the stairs were, the perfect opportunity to get out of the building without having to be so close to him. The thought was dreadful and heartbreaking after all they had been through before and part of her believed an honest conversation would make their plan a lot easier. Shaking her head to get rid of this thought, the young woman turned around and as calmly as she could walk towards the stairs.

"Didn't you want to get in, Kimberly?" Deucalion asked, his neutral tone stopping her immediately.

So he recognized her. Was it her scent?

Clearing her throat, she said, "I think I left something back in the-"

"Don't be childish," the alpha interrupted her as he put his hand on the edge of the door to keep it open. She didn't move, so he asked, "Are you still afraid of me?"

Could it be fear? She honestly didn't know the answer because all she had on her mind was the confusion she felt when it came to him. Looking around, Kim let out a long sigh and stepped into the elevator, standing next to him. "I haven't seen you for years," she started as the door closed. "How should I know if you've changed so much that killing me wouldn't be a problem for you?"

"Stop the lift, please," he said. When she didn't answer, he put his palm on the back of his neck. "I don't want to hurt you, darling; all I want is a normal conversation without being interrupted. Also, I believe I told you I wouldn't hurt you. Never."

"Sorry if I don't believe it," she replied with a roll of her eyes, but pushed the red button nonetheless. The elevator came to a halt and she took a few steps back to lean her back against the wall.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that, but it's still true."

"What are you doing here?" Kim asked, hoping they could get this conversation over with as soon as possible. "Have you been following me all the way to this building?"

Deucalion shook his head as he reached out to touch her face. It was a surprisingly tender movement, one she had been used to before, but now it was strangely unfamiliar. "Seriously, what do you take me for?" he asked, his voice low and calm as he spoke. "I live here, in the penthouse."

"Wow, not bad."

Flashing a smirk at her, he leaned down to bury his nose into her hair, taking in her scent. Kim knew very well what he was doing and she couldn't help but close her eyes. "You can visit me whenever you want," he said.

For a second, only for a second she was thinking about saying yes, accepting his invitation, but her mind quickly pounded the alarm. "Thanks, but thanks no," she replied with a sigh. "I don't even know why you moved here from all places."

"I have something to take care of," the werewolf explained as his nose slowly moved down her temple. "While I'm here, you can come whenever you want."

"Do you know when was the last time I trusted you without the smallest hint of fear? During my father's funeral," she said, her voice shaking as his lips brushed against the bridge of her nose. "We didn't talk, I don't even know if you knew I noticed you, but your presence itself was enough to calm me down."

It was true. She had been sitting there next to the grave, her mother on her other side, crying and trying to understand how something like this could even happen. A hunter killing another one; no one ever expected to experience anything like this. Of course, Gerard Argent wasn't stupid. Apart from Deucalion he was the only survivor, therefore most people believed him when he said it was a trap.

Then she noticed him standing a bit far from them, one of his Betas there to help him. The moment her eyes fell on the familiar face, Kim felt a rush of relief running through her. She wasn't scared anymore. That time she had no idea what he would turn into only a few days after the funeral, so his presence only made her feel safe. He was there for her, only keeping a safe distance because of the hunters who were possibly looking for him.

Feeling as his lips found hers brought her back to the present, but with his body now pressing her to the wall she couldn't resist. Years had passed, she knew what a monster he became, but his presence itself was still enough to make her weak.

"This worked the other way around as well," he pointed out quietly.

"It's not fair, Duke."

"You started it back in the animal clinic, remember?"

He was right. In the end, Deucalion stopped and let her go. He didn't start asking questions about why she was in Beacon Hills, but there was something in the way he acted that made him suspicious.

* * *

**Author's note:** I hope you liked it. The Peter/OC part is something I kinda have to do, but think of the title of the story. I mean, so far I'm only using Peter, but who knows...


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** And with this chapter, we've just cought up with season 3. If you see a song at the beginning of the chapter it's obviously a recommendation.

* * *

_OneRepublic - Everybody Loves Me_

* * *

Peter had no idea Kim had already met Deucalion, but she didn't want to talk about it. Not when things between them were about to change with all the movie nights and different evenings out. Now that they were both adults, she had to admit he was actually quite a nice guy, not the creep she had always thought him to be. By the time only a few days were left of August the two of them spent most of their time together. Without even knowing about it, he helped her get the alpha out of her mind.

It was almost ten but the dimly lit streets were still crowded with passers-by, mostly teenagers with those adorable loving looks in their eyes, holding each other's hands as they were chatting freely. Kim couldn't help but smile at the sight. It had been a long time since she was on a proper date, spending most of the time getting to know the other one while thinking about those dates gone terribly wrong back in high school. She never wanted to make the same mistake again, watching their surroundings out of the corner of her eye just in case a werewolf or something else was lurking in the dark.

Despite the unusually chilly air both Kim and Peter agreed after leaving the cinema that they should go for a walk around the block before heading home. After a while the streets became quieter then, another half an hour later, they were relatively alone at that part of the town. Kim didn't know how they ended up talking about motorcycles. Well, it was mainly Peter who talked and she only listened with a smile, sometimes nodding as if she knew what he was talking about.

There was no warning before he casually slipped his fingers around hers. He didn't stop talking and didn't turn to look at her.

"Seriously, Peter?" Kim asked with a small laugh as they stopped. "Holding hands? How old are you?"

The werewolf flashed an arrogant smile at her as he took a step towards her, his blue eyes locked with her brown ones. "Old enough to know better, Kimberly," he explained. "At least you didn't slap me. You know, I had no idea how you would react if I kissed you, so... It was safer this way."

With a devilish smirk, Kim pulled her hand away. "You blew your chance, buddy," she said.

She turned around and took a few steps away from him, but Peter soon followed, wrapping his arms around her as he buried his nose into her hair. "You'll give me another one," he said confidently.

"What makes you think that?"

"Let's see," he started, still not letting go of her. "I'm handsome, funny, adorable, and everybody loves me."

* * *

"We don't like you," Derek stated firmly before he closed the book and put it on the table next to him. "Now shut up and help us."

At least he was honest; considering he was asking Peter a favor it was the least he could do for him. And, of course, this honesty saved them time as well. So the older Hale thought for a second, letting his eyes travel around the spacious loft until he looked back at his nephew. "Fair enough," he said with a shrug, his claws growing longer after the theatrical movement.

Kim rolled her eyes as she walked up next to him, but her first words were addressed to the younger man. "What a warm greeting, Derek."

"Who is she?"

"I'm the hunter girl you tried to throw out of the house a couple of years ago because you thought I was there to hurt your family," she explained casually, remembering that night around the time Deucalion introduced her to Talia Hale. Derek looked a lot like her, but after what had happened to them, she chose not to bring her up. "It's nice to see you again."

In the background, Isaac raised his hand to awkwardly wave her as a greeting. Kim returned the gesture then turned her attention back to Derek who furrowed his eyebrows. "What is she doing here?" he asked Peter.

"Never mind that I'm standing right here," Kim noted with a sigh.

Peter rolled his eyes while he raised his clawed hands. "You called me here because of Isaac so can we just get started?"

Isaac didn't seem very convinced about this method, but Peter had already told Kim about it, so she perfectly understood his feelings. He was just a kid who was trying to help his friends, who also happened to be the members of Derek's pack. And the pack, as Deucalion had thought her, was more important than family. Sometimes she wondered if hunters were aware of that, if they knew the consequences of killing a werewolf. At times like this she was honestly grateful for all those lessons. Actually, some of the best things in her life came from him.

She sat on a chair next to Derek as the youngest werewolf sat on another one not far from them with Peter standing right behind him. "Relax," he said as he looked down at his claws. "I'll get more out of you if you're calm."

"How do you know how to do this, again?" Isaac shifted in the chair, suddenly uncomfortable with the entire situation he got into. The expression on his face gave away his uncertainty.

"It's an ancient ritual used mostly by alphas, since it's a skill that requires quite a bit of practice," Peter explained, the end of the claw on his forefinger scratching the back of the boy's neck. He was looking for something, maybe the right spot, but it didn't stop him from talking. "One slip and you could paralyze someone," he said nonchalantly before adding, "or kill them."

Isaac's eyes widened in shock before he turned around and looked up at the ex-alpha, his eyes shifting to his sharp claws for a second. "You-you've had a lot of practice, though, right?" he asked.

"Well," Peter started as he looked down at the boy, flashing an arrogant smirk at him, "I've never paralyzed anyone."

Next to Kim, Derek gave his uncle a hard look, but luckily enough chose not to say a word. Isaac was now officially terrified, his eyes darting back and forth between his alpha and Peter, and Kim couldn't help but laugh at this. "That was very comforting, Peter." He turned to her, but she gave him an apologetic shrug in response. It was true, though, because the poor guy was now terrified to death.

"Wait, does that mean that you-"

Before Isaac could finish his sentence, Peter dug his claws into the back of his neck, holding him firmly in one place with his other hand. The boy was struggling and Peter's eyes glowed in a light blue shade as he turned his gaze to the ceiling. It was scary as hell and Kim involuntarily jumped up from her chair, ready to go and help them in case something went wrong. She was more worried about the older Hale, though, because apart from struggling, Isaac seemed to be fine.

Derek probably had the same thoughts on his mind, because at one point he wanted to tell him to stop, but Peter quickly said, "Wait, I see them."

Watching them was nerve-wracking, but when Peter finally let go of Isaac, Kim's heart skipped a beat in fear. He looked confused, maybe even scared as he walked away from them. Walking over to him, Kim did the first thing that came to her mind: putting a hand on his hand, the one he was massaging without looking at it. Human contact can help a lot in cases like this, she knew that very well. It had worked with Deucalion, just as much as it worked on her.

"What'd you see?" she asked softly, waiting for him to finally look into her eyes.

"It was confusing. Um, im-images," Peter replied, still panting from the intense experience. "Vague... shapes."

"But you saw something," Derek pointed out.

"Isaac found them."

"Erica and Boyd?"

Peter thought for a few seconds, not resisting when Kim took his hand. "I barely saw them. I mean, glimpses," he corrected himself with an almost apologetic look.

"But you did see them."

"Worse."

"Deucalion," Derek stated after a few seconds of complete silence.

He had been there as well. Of course he was, but it also meant he knew very well where the two young werewolves were kept. Kim could barely believe that Deucalion reached that bottom, kidnapping two kids and keeping them hostage only to get under Derek's skin. Why would he even bother with something like that? It barely made sense to her since she knew him better than to believe that was it. Erica and Boyd definitely weren't simple bargaining chips.

Peter, not caring about the audience or the weird looks, moved behind Kim and pulled her closer by her waist so he could rest his chin on her shoulder. She had a feeling it had more to do with the fact he had just brought up the alpha than his own needs. "He was talking to them. Something about time running out," he continued.

"What does it mean?" Isaac asked with a confused look on his face.

Derek didn't hesitate to provide a possible answer. "He's gonna kill them."

"No, no, no, no, no, he didn't say that," Peter pointed out. "He did make them a promise that by the full moon that they'd both be dead.

"The next full moon?"

Nodding, Peter confirmed it. "Tomorrow night."

Later, when they were already sitting in his car on their way home, Kim's thoughts returned to the alpha. She didn't even recognize him, the once pacifist man who was now kidnapping teenagers. How could one disastrous meeting have such an enormous effect on someone's life? But, of course, there was Peter's example. He had lost his family in that fire, also caused by an Argent, he was left in a catatonic state for almost six years, then he woke up and killed her niece and other people as well.

To put it simply, the entire situation could be thanked to the Argent family. Not Chris and Allison, of course, because she knew them better than to believe otherwise.

"Are you okay?" Peter suddenly asked, successfully snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Sure?"

"Peter, please."

"I've been listening to your heartbeat, and now it changed the same way it had done when I mentioned Deucalion back at Derek's."

Kim took a deep breath as she leaned her head against the headboard. "Do you want me to talk to Duke?" she asked quietly.

Peter furrowed his eyebrows as he looked over at her. "We don't even know where he is," he pointed out.

Of course, they didn't. She was close to get busted but there was still hope, a tiny little twist on her own words that could help with his rising suspicion. "Yeah, I know, but you said he was there. What if he will be there tomorrow as well?"

"I'm not even sure if we'll find the location in time," Peter said with a shrug. It was a simple statement, no sign of sarcasm or irony could be detected in his voice. He was right; whatever he had seen, it wasn't enough to help finding that damn place.

* * *

**Author's note:** Thank you for the reviews and all, you're awesome! It's not my best chapter; I know and I'm terribly sorry. But I promise the next one will be longer and there might be a little flashback. Oh, and while they're waiting for Scott and Derek's updates, Kim will tell Stiles and Peter a few things about how she got into university.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Shouldn't you be studying?"_

_Kim's gaze rose from magazine she was reading then shrugged. "I should be, yes, but since I'll sure as hell fail, I thought I might as well spend the afternoon doing something relaxing," she replied._

_The fact he came in without knocking almost drew a malicious comment out of her, but in the end she managed to bite it back. There was no reason to tell him how annoying she found this habit of his, so she chose to return her attention to the magazine. She had just started a long article about people who lost their partners because of their weird hobbies. It was still better than studying. _

_The alpha rolled his green eyes at this answer as he sat on the edge of her bed. He looked ridiculously out of place in her room, even if it wasn't so girly anymore. With a sigh, he took the magazine from her hand and threw it on the floor. "Kim, it's only history."_

_"Oh, sorry, I forgot that you're obsessed with it," she snapped at him while she moved to get back her magazine, but Deucalion was faster and kicked it out of her reach. Giving him an annoyed look, she said, "You know, I don't really like the idea of this test. I mean, really? I'm not even sure we were supposed to study things like the comparison of the honor codes of different militaries."_

_"But it's important." Kim huffed and leaned her back against the headboard. "Alright, where are your books?"_

_"No. Don't even think about it, I won't study today."_

_Deucalion laughed as he pulled up his right knee so he could face her. "Don't be ridiculous. Give me an hour and trust me, you'll pass it."_

_"Get out. Seriously, get out and leave me alone for today."_

_She was waiting for him to move, to do anything other than looking at her with that smug smile on his face. It wasn't fair because he knew exactly how easily he could persuade her to do whatever she didn't want to do. But he waited. Patiently and in complete silence that drove her insane. _

_"If I don't?"_

_"I'll shoot you?" she offered uncertainly. Of course, Kim would never shoot him. _

_The werewolf, with the smile still on his face, shrugged. "You're childish."_

_"No, I'm lazy," she pointed out with a raised forefinger. "That's different."_

_"Look, your father asked me to come over and help you with this. Let me help."_

_"Shouldn't you be with your pack?"_

_"They have a life of their own."_

_"What about you?" It was supposed to be a normal, friendly question but Deucalion gulped as his body tensed. She tiled her head, patiently waiting for him to finally say something but he didn't. "Why are you looking at me like this?"_

_"It's nothing."_

_"Didn't seem like nothing to me. Duke, come on, why don't you trust me?"_

_Clearing his throat, the alpha shook his head. "Let's get this studying over with, Kim."_

_The girl looked up at the ceiling for a second before she reached out and put her hand on the side of his neck. "Please, tell me," she pleaded quietly._

_"Don't do this to me," he told her while he leaned into her touch, his lips brushing her wrist. _

_Kim shivered but didn't move. This small movement revived most of the old feelings for him she had successfully forgotten months ago. "I'm not doing anything," she finally said, pulling away her hand. _

_Only nanoseconds after breaking contact, he caught her hand and pulled it to his mouth, gently kissing it as he said, "Yes, you are."_

_"No, I'm n-" _

_She couldn't finish the sentence because he interrupted her with a kiss. A kiss that led to something neither of them expected to happen._

* * *

Almost an hour had passed since Derek and Scott left the loft, leaving Stiles, Peter and Kim behind. She was thinking, trying to find a reason why Deucalion took those Betas. There had to be something, but if it was a werewolf-related thing, he had probably forgotten to tell her when she was younger. She walked over to the window, watching the nearby buildings and the windows, seeing as the people inside lived their perfectly normal lives with their perfectly negligible problems.

Then she remembered something. "Sparta," she said as she turned around and looked at the two men.

Stiles raised an eyebrow. "Sparta?"

"Yes," she nodded without hesitation. "I guess he's trying to train Derek by taking something important away from him. At the age of seven Spartan boys are grouped into packs, but later they end up in different units," Kim explained. Of course she was probably wrong, but this was the only thing she could think of. Why else would he do something like kidnapping kids?

Peter threw his head back on the couch with a dramatic sigh. "Here we go again, his Ancient Greek kink."

"What are you talking about?" Stiles asked as his eyes darted back and forth between them.

"He calls himself Deucalion, she says he's referring to Sparta - see the pattern here?" the older Hale asked with a smirk.

Kim shook her head before she turned to Stiles. "It's not a kink. Ancient Greece was his favorite and main field, but he was studying history and anthropology in university."

"And he successfully made you study that as well."

"He helped me after I decided to hand in my application," she corrected him.

"That's almost the same," Peter replied.

Meanwhile Stiles put up his hands with an utterly confused look on his face. "Wait, how well do you know that guy?"

"Well enough to say almost everything I know about werewolves came from him."

"Why haven't either of you mentioned that yet? You should go and talk to him. Maybe, if you two weren't keeping it to yourselves, we would have already known where he kept Erica and Boyd."

"Stiles, I know it sounds easy, but it's not," she replied. "I won't talk to him until it's absolutely necessary."

He tried to get more out of her, asking questions she didn't want to talk about, but after almost half an hour he gave up and concentrated on his own theories. This is how he accidentally helped Peter remembering a very important detail.

* * *

The next day Deucalion, Kali and Ennis showed up in Derek's loft and, according to Peter, it wasn't exactly a friendly visit. Apart from making their intentions and expectations clear, Deucalion sent Kim a message through the Hales. Peter didn't want to let her go, but there was nothing he could do to stop her. She didn't even agree to be accompanied by him, saying in case of an emergency he would try to contact Chris since he lived in the same building.

So she left, and felt the nausea take over as she was waiting for the elevator to arrive. There were mere seconds left to change her mind. Maybe it was a trap. Maybe he should just stop and turn back before it was too late. The door opened and he was already waiting for her. "Do you know why I wanted to see you?" he asked without a greeting.

She didn't. In all honestly she hadn't felt like thinking about it, because the only thing that appeared in her mind was the pain he caused to Derek. It reminded her on the day he killed Marco. She heard it all. "No," she managed to say quietly as they went to the living room. "Please, enlighten me."

"I heard you have a much," the alpha started, stopping for a second as he tapped his fingers on his cane, "deeper relationship with Peter Hale than just staying in his flat." There was no smile, no smirk, and all the muscles tightened in his face.

"Who told you that?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. And I can also smell him on you, Kim."

"You don't know anything," she growled angrily.

"I know enough to warn you about it. I don't want you around him if you don't want him to get hurt."

"Duke-"

"I'm serious," the alpha interrupted him, obviously on the edge of losing his patience.

Kim let out a small laugh as she sat next to him. "Do you even know why I'm sleeping with him?" she asked. "It started after we had met, after you kissed me. I... I needed someone, something to distract me. Since I'm staying at his place, it... happened. He's having fun while we're waiting and I'm having fun _and_ get you out of my head. It's a win-win situation."

"You only did it because of me?"

"I know you're a monster, don't get me wrong," she stated to make it clear then added, "but I remember who you used to be and I still love that man."

"Then stay here, in the penthouse."

"To live with the other alphas?" she asked incredulously. "Thanks but I'm not suicidal."

Deucalion let out a sigh. "I won't let them hurt you."

"What about you?"

"Kimberly, you still believe I would ever hurt you? How many times I have to tell you I would never let you get hurt?"

She had no idea what to think anymore. Every single time she got this close to him her old feelings clouded her mind and made it impossible to think straight. Now it didn't matter how strong the physical bond between her and Peter was, because there was no love between them. In Deucalion's case it was an exceptionally strong emotional bond, one that often made her think if there was something more in the background, and a disarming and intoxicating physical bond she couldn't resist.

A few minutes were enough for her anger to completely disappear, giving space to uncertainty she felt every time her gaze fell on him. One day, if the others don't kill him, she would ask him about this bond. He wasn't telling her the truth and she didn't like it. This thing had absolutely nothing to do with their plans, this was something strictly between the two of them, concerning both sides, but the alpha, for some strange reason, believed it was better if he had kept her in the dark.

The silence was deafening and nerve-wrecking. "By the way, you started it," she said.

Deucalion turned towards her with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"You said I was the one who started this ridiculous thing between us back in the animal clinic that day," she started the explanation, keeping her eyes on her hands she folded in her lap. "But it had been you, Duke, when you came over to help me studying for that exam."

"That was different."

"Why? Because you gave in?" she asked, slightly raising her voice. "Or because it was more serious than a simple kiss? Come on, admit you didn't mean when you said we should forget it."

Deucalion took a deep breath to calm himself, his anxiety slowly breaking the cold and well-controlled surface. The last time she had seen him this way was right before he found out he'll stay blind. It was terrifying because she was alone with him in the penthouse. "You were too young, Kim."

"Bullshit!" She was shouting and didn't bother her. Her anger gave her the strength to get over the fear. "You were simply too afraid to see how far it could go between us because you believed I was too young to make a rational decision I wouldn't regret later."

"Fine, you're right," he gave in. "Is this what you wanted to hear?"

"Only if you mean it," Kim replied a bit calmer.

"Remember when I told you my Betas had a life of their own and you asked me about mine?"

"Vaguely," she lied.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, waiting for the right moment to begin. Seconds later he reached out to find her hand and she didn't hesitate before interweaving her fingers with his. "In a certain way, you were my life at the time. Not only because I was trying to teach you a few things, mostly to keep you safe. I knew you liked me at some point but it was only a silly crush, nothing serious. Then later I realized I loved you much more than I thought."

Kim gulped. Why was he doing this to her? She came here to help the others fight her, but instead she was now here, talking about their oh-so-fucked-up relationship. If it could be called a relationship, that is. "You do know things could have turned out differently if you'd told me that, right?" she asked seriously.

"Yes, I do," he nodded. "But it was better this way."

"Better for whom? You killed your Betas and now you're after Derek and those kids."

Deucalion ignored her last sentence. "If you won't stay here, at least promise me you'll stay out of this. I really don't want you to get hurt, Kim."

* * *

**Author's note:** Thanks for everything! What do you think she will do now? Anyway, feedback is always welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: **I put the song below on loop while I was writing. Just FYI, in case you're interested.

* * *

_Nicky Romero & NERVO - Like Home_

* * *

The penthouse was, once again, eerily quiet. Deucalion leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. Kim's scent was still lingering in the air and every breath he took reminded him of her. Through his sunglasses he had watched her, seeing her face again in infra-red. Under the confusion and slight anger she looked almost happy, not like the last time he met her in the elevator. Back then the woman he loved was scared of him, but there was no happiness, even below the mask she wore now. He knew it wasn't him that made her feel this way because he listened to her heartbeat.

Kimberly lied to him. Lied when she said it was only a physical relationship between her and Peter Hale. She obviously felt more for him even if she hadn't realized it yet. This tiny little fact was enough to push him into an emotional turmoil he hadn't felt for a long time. He might have lost his sight, only seeing as a werewolf, but he could still vividly recall the night they talked about, remembering every little detail as if it had happened the day before. He wanted to blame the upcoming full moon for what happened. There was no excuse for his actions and he was aware of that because giving in to such primal need wasn't like him.

But her scent was intoxicating, a unique mix of her favorite perfume, the shampoo she used and, of course, her skin. The soft, nicely tanned skin that was a little bit salty when his lips trailed down from her mouth to the hem of her yellow panties. Then the moans, those low, satisfied sounds that escaped her lips whenever he touched her drove her insane even years after it happened. He missed these times, when she wasn't afraid of him, when she trusted him without the merest hint of doubt.

_Love of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul_. The same sentences, one of the most overused quotes returned to dominate his thoughts over and over again around that time. Of course back then he had no idea how sleeping with her would change his life and his fate forever, turning that young girl, his little protégé into the most important person in his live, the one he would protect at all costs. Even now, when she was openly on the side of his enemies, he felt the urge to keep her away from this war.

For a werewolf the pack is maybe more important than family, but losing her was much more devastating than losing a member of his family or pack. However ridiculous it sounded, it felt like he had just lost a part of himself, and the moment she told him to leave he lost the person who turned out to be his mate.

And now Peter Hale, that insignificant piece of his strategic chessboard was officially a threat when it came to Kimberly. That man, as he heard, had killed his own niece to become an alpha, turned Scott into a werewolf to start a pack for power, forced his nephew to join the said pack and even found a way to be resurrected. If he could do these things, he could also hurt Kim in one way or another, and he didn't want to let it happen.

* * *

She had been gone for too long. Peter tried to find something to occupy himself with, quickly ruling out cleaning or watching some stupid TV show while leaving the apartment was not an option either. The clock was ticking louder with every second and he was going insane, his werewolf hearing picking up every little noise around him by late afternoon. Once he tried to call her but there was no response. Maybe she was already dead; Deucalion had killed her for no particular reason.

The thought drew a low growl out of him and he punched the nearest wall. His fist left a small hole behind. With a roll of his eyes Peter looked around to find something that could cover it until he called someone to repair the damage he had done. As he was pacing in the living room with his hands folded behind his back, Peter's eyes caught sight of an old frame, hidden behind the couch for a few months now. It was a picture of the old Hale house, a not exactly friendly reminder of the past, the real reason why he was still sticking around.

After carefully dusting it off, Peter put it on the wall. At least it now looked pretty normal, as if nothing had happened. To the wall, that is, because the picture itself was still too dark and depressing for someone who didn't know the meaning. Not like he was planning to invite anyone over for a nice dinner anytime soon. His gaze turned to the kitchen at the thought of dinner and, since he had nothing else to do, he decided to spend the time with something useful: cooking.

The front door closed with a light click, followed by the sound of Kim's keys landing on the table next to it. So she was alive and it was good. With things about to get worse in the near future they needed someone like her around. She stepped into the kitchen right when he was flambéing the chicken. A really long time ago he had seen Talia using this technique and, since it involved something that could be considered awesome by a teenager, he learned how to do it.

"Are you planning to burn down the house?" Kim asked with a small laugh as she walked up next to him. When she noticed the shocked look he probably had on his face, she said, "Sorry, it came out wrong. But seriously, what are you doing?"

"Believe it or not, I'm cooking."

"No way," she said incredulously, playfully punching his upper arm. "I don't want to end up in hospital with food poisoning, though."

Peter put the pan down, leaving the chicken while he turned his attention to her. "Ha, I'm really good at this, don't worry," he said as his hand sneaked around her waist and pulled her close to him. She laughed and for some reason he was happy to hear that sound after being alone in the strangely quiet apartment for hours.

"Can I help?"

He thought for a second while he looked around the kitchen but then said, "No."

Kim raised her eyebrows, giving him a look that was supposed to make him feel bad about saying no, but it didn't work on him. "Why?" she finally asked innocently.

"Because of reasons," came his vague reply with a smirk. Actually, he didn't want her to screw up what he had done so far and cooking also happened to be some kind of a therapy for him. Not to mention women liked it so he was kind of used to hearing the compliments from them.

"Come on, Peter."

"I said I'll handle it. Get out of the kitchen, please."

She laughed right into his face as she sat on the kitchen table and crossed her legs as her eyes followed his every move. "Nah, I'll just sit here and watch the masterchef at work."

"Fine," he said with a tired sigh before raising his forefinger, "but you won't say a word."

"That will be pretty boring."

"Nothing about cooking," he corrected himself.

"Yes, sir," Kim replied as she saluted. "No wait. Why are you even cooking?"

It was obvious, really, why someone would start cooking in their own kitchen. Why else would people have a kitchen in their homes if there was no real purpose for them? But he decided not to say these things out loud; all he did was rolling his eyes. Then he looked at her and noticed the look on her face. She wasn't okay. She was probably far from being okay, but finding him in the kitchen maybe helped averting her thoughts for a while.

"We have to eat, right? And you've just met Deucalion after quite a long time so you probably deserve it," he added, having a feeling the alpha was the reason why she wasn't entirely herself.

He hadn't expected her to laugh at this but she did. "I probably deserve it? Well, thank you, Peter."

They left the food behind as he gently pushed her towards the living room. She had been away for so long he now desperately wanted to know every little detail he could get; doing it, of course, without her noticing his real intentions. "Do you want to talk about what happened?" he asked casually when they sat on the couch. "You know, I'm interested and we have some time now. For example I don't even know how you found him."

"What?"

"He only said he wanted to see you, but never said a word about where," Peter repeated calmly. The woman's eyes widened and her heart rate suddenly jumped. It was suspicious but he didn't want to force the truth out of her yet. Maybe she wasn't so stupid to try and lie to him about what had happened when she met the alpha. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Kim shook her head. "No I just-"

"You're lying," he interrupted her, trying to make it sound like a simple statement without the merest hint of accusation.

"I didn't even say anything."

"But your heartbeat did," he informed her angrily.

He couldn't believe she was trying to lie. She was, or at least had been a hunter with a good knowledge of werewolves, yet she was stupid enough to ignore one of the most obvious advantages they had. When he leaned forward, Kim jumped up and walked away, turning her back to him as she looked out of the window. Peter let out a sigh as he followed her but he didn't say anything.

Her silence meant she had been hiding something important from them, just when the need for any kind of information about the alpha pack was vital. After all they didn't only capture Boyd and Erica, they had Cora as well. And Cora was family, even if he hadn't spent much time around her. Peter knew that Derek was slowly but surely falling apart under the pressure of proving everyone including himself that he was a good alpha, especially after Isaac had moved to Scott.

* * *

**Author's note:** Thanks for every review, fav and alert. Sorry for not replying, but I'm way too lazy. I know this chapter is quite short but I really wanted to post an update and the other half of the last scene will be written from Kim's POV. Still, I hope you liked it!


	5. Chapter 5

"For example I don't even know how you found him," Peter said, his voice sounding as if he was only interested, but she knew him better than that.

It was an interrogation and he was the one asking the suspect all the questions he wanted answers for. She wasn't planning to tell him everything, though, but the best defense she had was playing stupid. Putting on the most surprised expression she could manage, Kim asked, "What?"

Peter let out a long sigh, sitting on the coffee table in front of her with his elbows resting on his thighs as he was watching her. "He only said he wanted to see you, but never said a word about where." She should have expected this, the suspicion and putting the pieces of the puzzle together. While she leaned back on the couch, trying to build a safe distance between them, the werewolf spoke up again. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No I just-"

"You're lying," he interrupted her angrily.

All right, playing stupid probably wasn't the best idea. Kim pulled up her legs, hugging her knees as she spoke. "I didn't even say anything."

Peter huffed. "But your heartbeat did," he pointed out.

"I know where to find him, yes," she gave in. "When I visited Chris a few weeks ago I met him because he lives in the same building."

"Didn't you feel like telling us?"

"Not until it became relevant," Kim replied with a satisfied smirk on her lips, knowing how playing the same role he was playing most of the time might have a certain effect on the werewolf. Mirroring, after all, was quite a good strategy to follow.

"It's relevant now." As she expected, his voice was angrier this time, but she didn't feel even the slightest hint of fear. Peter wouldn't hurt her, because if he did, they would lose their only chance to have a diplomatic meeting with Deucalion. He took a deep breath to calm himself before he spoke up once again. "So what happened?"

"He wanted me to stay with him. He said it would be safer there because he didn't want me to get hurt," she explained with a shrug.

"Does he know where you live?"

Kim laughed at his kind of naïve question. "He's not stupid," she pointed out. "Someone told him; probably one of the twins followed me or I don't know, but he could also smell you on me," she added. After all, it was partly his fault, and Kim wanted him to be aware of that. She wasn't the only one to blame.

"Oh, is the scary alpha leader jealous?"

Peter took it too lightly but, of course, he couldn't have any idea how serious this thing was. After what she had found out, this reaction almost made her laugh. If he only knew how jealous he could be and how deep trouble he would be in if he tried to do anything to her in the future. "I don't think jealous is a good word for that," she pointed out.

"Look, maybe he's just trying to get you out of the picture because you know too much about him."

"No, it's more than that," she told him while laughing.

"How so?"

Kim flashed a smirk at him as she reached into her pocket for her phone. "Oh, it's Chris. He wants to meet me. Sorry, story time is over for today, I guess."

"Kim, don't you dare to leave now."

"Or what?" she asked as she turned back from the door. "You're going to hurt me? Don't be ridiculous."

She had no idea why she was suddenly so confident. Maybe it was Duke. Maybe it the fact he still cared about her. Either way, she didn't feel like going into the details with Peter, so in the next days she tried to avoid him.

* * *

It was nice to work with Chris again, seeing how professional hunters took care of things. She had always liked the way he was thinking, sharing the same views with her own father and at the same time believing in the Code they had. After all, there's a reason why hunters had been creating rules for themselves. Even though Chris wanted to retire, his plans failed. Once a hunter, always a hunter - even Kim had to admit returning was better than keeping the average life she lived in the past years.

After she left Peter in the apartment to meet Chris, the hunter told her about the recent deaths around. Animals, virgins and warriors which meant they were dealing with a druid. Probably a Darach, as he called it. All of the murders so far had been sacrifices and there were other groups of people to be killed in the near future. But this wasn't the only problem they had since Allison had told her father about a battle Derek and the others were preparing for against the alphas.

Kim had barely talked to Peter lately as she tried to avoid him and his interrogations that usually came out of nowhere. So while he was working on their possible strategy with his nephew, she tried to find the Darach with Chris. Now they were in the abandoned mall, though, looking at the traces left behind after the battle.

"Almost ten years, Chris," she spoke up to break the silence. "After all this time we still have the same problems."

He looked at her, obviously knowing what she meant. "The Darach is new" he pointed out with a sigh. "There were no such sacrificial murders before. We found blood on the Nemeton but that was it. "

"Okay, right. What are you planning to do?"

"It started soon after the alphas appeared here."

"So there's a connection?"

"Maybe," he said as they sat down at the top of the old escalator, looking down at the ruins. "But at least I know where to look and what kind of people the Darach might be planning to kill next. And I also know that Allison is helping Scott and the others even if I told her not to."

Kim's gaze shifted to the damaged wall that was said to be the spot where one of the teenage girl's arrows ended up. "So what are you going to do with her?"

"I'll handle it," Chris replied confidently.

"Sure?"

"I'll try," he corrected his previous statement.

"Maybe you should let her do what she wants to do," Kim told him quietly, earning a questioning look from the Argent. "Believe it or not, I was a teenager once and I remember that the more my parents tried to ban something the more I wanted to do it."

Chris didn't reply right away. He glanced down at his hand, playing with the wedding ring he was still wearing. "I lost too many members of my family lately and I don't want Allison to get hurt," he admitted.

"I understand, trust me, but your relationship with Allison is a lot like the one between me and my dad was. You teach her everything about hunting, you protect her, but at the same time you know there are certain situations when you have to bend the rules of the Code to win. You know there's a grey area and you also know that Scott can teach her other things as well."

"What kind of things exactly?"

She smiled to herself at his question. Thinking about it, maybe what she had just said came out wrong. "Not the ones you're thinking about," she assured him. "Scott's a good a guy, a werewolf who believes revenge doesn't necessarily solve every single problem in the world. In that sense I guess Scott is Allison's Deucalion. He protected her on more than on occasion right? They are there for each other so give the guy some credit and trust him. Dad trusted Duke and I think that was one of the best decisions in his life."

The silence that fell on the abandoned building was suffocating. Kim looked at the man and tried to figure out what he was thinking about at the moment. Of course she had an idea; it was only natural for one to come to this conclusion after all. And then she was proven right when Chris turned to her with a smirk.

"Yeah, and then he turned into a psychopathic murderer," he said mockingly.

Kim raised her forefinger. "Thanks to your father," she replied.

"What did you say?"

"That it was Gerard's fault after all."

He looked as if he was balancing between the state of being genuinely confused and utterly sarcastic. "I'm sorry, but they were the ones who walked into Deucalion's trap."

"Oh, God, no," Kim said as she shook her head. Well, at least this explained a few things. Not like it came as a big surprise to hear how Gerard Argent lied to someone about what had happened exactly. "Don't tell me you only heard this side of the story."

And then it happened. Chris Argent turned from a hunter into a father in a blink of an eye, speaking in a tone he was probably using while talking to Allison. She appreciated it, really, how he handled it without being rude or hurting her feelings.

"Kim, I know you don't want to believe it, but it was Deucalion's fault that your father died that day," he said.

Her father's death was something Kim wanted to avoid. It was a territory she never ever wanted anyone to step into again, especially if the said person was the son of the man who killed him. On that day she had lost not only her father and best friend, but also the future she wanted to have, including the plans to convince other hunters it was time to revise the Code. Maybe even Chris would have agreed but it didn't really mattered anymore.

"Actually," she started hesitantly, trying to find a way not to upset him and start a fight, "it was _your_ father's fault that _mine_ died. He was the one who killed everyone who attended the meeting, leaving only Duke alive after he had blinded him. But it doesn't matter now. What _does_ matter is that we have the chance to change things. We can learn from the past and maybe it's enough to help them. Don't be like your father and don't hurt Scott."

He decided not to reply but the expression on his face told her he understood her and maybe even agreed with it. "I'd prefer if she stayed out of this," he finally said.

Kim let out a small laugh as she said, "Let's be honest: she won't stay out of anything."

They sat there for a few more minutes in silence. Neither of them felt like talking but it wasn't a problem for now. The abandoned mall was now a reminder of what they were up against - not only the Darach but the alpha pack as well. Peter had tried to convince her to join the others here so she could try and talk to Deucalion, but she knew they only wanted to use her as bait and not someone who could get him to stop. They wanted the alpha dead but to kill him they had to get close to him first.

As she was thinking about it, Kim's phone started buzzing in her pocket. It was a message from Deaton, saying he wanted to meet her at the animal clinic right away. Putting it away again, she said goodbye and left. The text was strange; short and lacking any kind of information about why he wanted her there exactly, but this was what made the entire thing suspicious.

When she got out of the car, she didn't notice anything out of normal. Once inside, she tapped her fingertips on the table as she called out. "Hello?"

"Come in, I'm back here," came his response.

His voice sounded tired, maybe a little nervous or annoyed, but Kim couldn't decide which one was true. "Hey, what was so," she started as she entered the room, but stopped right away when she noticed the body lying on the metal table. "Oh my God, he's alive?"

It was Ennis, the alpha who was believed to be dead. Sure, neither his nor Derek's body was found later but it was still shocking. Her eyes moved to the vet who visibly gulped and she knew something was really wrong. He wasn't doing this because he wanted to, obviously. After all, Deaton was helping Scott and not the alphas.

"Apparently," he replied. "Listen, they are here and I believe it's time for you to help us." She gave him a confused look so he took a deep breath and went on. "Things are getting worse, Kim, and maybe there's something you could do for us."

Kim didn't say anything.

She didn't like the sound of the idea.

* * *

**Author's note:** And from the next chapter on our beloved demon wolf will play a much bigger role in the story. No, but seriously. It's about time for him to do something, right? So get ready, because I have plans for these two and also say hello to Deaton. And Chris.

I hope you enjoyed it and feel free to tell me what you think.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:** I was looking for a quote to use in this chapter when I found this:

"_Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that._" ― Martin Luther King Jr.

After the finale I think it suits Deucalion's storyline - and this story as well.

* * *

"How's our patient?"

Deucalion's unmistakable deep voice echoed between the walls as he spoke, making both Deaton and Kim slowly turn to face him. She looked at him, suspiciously following every single movement as he walked closer to the table Ennis was lying on. For a second he looked like a friend who had just jumped in to see if everything was okay with the other alpha but Kim knew it wasn't true. It couldn't be true.

At the same time, though, a part of her was happy to see him and, however cliché it sounded, her heart skipped a beat as she looked at him. Ever since they had talked about that evening she was torn between her hate and love for Deucalion. The man standing next to her slowly took of his rubber gloves and the snapping sound brought her back to reality.

"Out cold," he replied coldly.

Deucalion's expression remained unreadable as he took a few steps closer to the table. "And the prognoses?" he asked.

"Surprisingly optimistic," Deaton replied. "He's gonna make it."

Kim envied his confidence because she didn't even know if she could open her mouth and say anything at the moment. She wasn't expecting Deucalion to show up, not like this and not after she had just found out Ennis was still alive.

Biting her lower lip she kept staring at the alpha, watching as he walked over to the badly injured werewolf and leaned down to him. Something was wrong and as her gaze shifted to Deaton for a second she knew he was thinking about the very same thing. Then Deucalion put his hand on Ennis' face, his fingers slowly closing around his skull as his claws dug deep into the skin. Kim instinctively took a step back, now standing partly behind the vet who hadn't moved.

It happened so quickly she didn't even realize what she had just witnessed. The alpha's skull was broken by Deucalion who looked quite satisfied with himself. Once again, in the same building, he turned on one of his own, except this time it wasn't self-defense. It was murder at its purest form.

"I think you might have overestimated his odds," the alpha stated casually as he turned around to leave. "Kimberly, come with me. We need to talk."

"I don't think so."

Deucalion stopped and turned his head towards her. "I said-"

"I know what you said but after what I've just seen I don't exactly feel safe around you," she interrupted him angrily.

He took a deep breath then slowly let it out. "Don't start it again."

Suddenly Kim felt like laughing. It wasn't the kind of laugh that came after a good joke but the one that resembled the mix of fear and helplessness she felt. "If there's anyone starting anything here it's you," she told him.

"He wouldn't do anything to you, Kim." She looked over at Deaton with a questioning look but he only shook his head in response.

"Are you sure after what happened?"

"Trust me."

Her gaze turned back to Deucalion who was still waiting for her. He had said, after all, that he wouldn't hurt her therefore going with him for a little chat couldn't be that dangerous. "Fine," she agreed with a sigh and went after the alpha.

He led her to the main entrance of the clinic where he sat down on a chair and motioned towards the one next to him. Kim only stood there for a few seconds, hesitating whether or not she should do as he said but his expression told her it would be better if she sat down. So she did and then waited for him to say something, anything that would break the silence.

But Deucalion remained silent.

"Why did you want me to see it?" she asked quietly, talking about what he had done to Ennis. She could still hear the bone breaking in her head.

"Because, darling," he started, "this is what will happen to Peter Hale if you don't stay away from him."

There they were again: Peter. Maybe he had been right and Deucalion was jealous but after all those years he had no right to tell her what to do. It wasn't working that way. "Duke, just explain why is it so important to you," she asked him softly.

"If you stay away from him, you will stay away from all of this." It was logical but she had already heard this reason. Then came the other part of his usual reasoning when he said, "All I want is you to be safe."

"Leaving Peter won't keep me away from solving the problem with your pack," she pointed out.

"It's not a problem."

"It is for me. For us," Kim corrected herself. "This is why I came here and I won't leave until we made any kind of progress. They are only kids, Duke."

Deucalion let out a sigh as he turned to her. If she didn't know better she would have sworn he was watching her through his sunglasses as if he wasn't blind at all. But he was and she had been right here with him when he found it out. He reached out to touch her face but she moved away. "I don't want to talk about that, Kimberly, but the situation is a bit more complicated now than I've expected before. Move into the penthouse where I can protect you."

Could it be that he was genuinely worried about her well-being? The way he talked seemed honest, just like the disappointed expression on his face when she had avoided his hand. "What do you want to protect me from exactly?"

"The Darach," he replied.

Of course you know about it, she thought. "I can protect myself and I guess we're getting closer and closer to find it."

"Even though I know and almost appreciate Chris Argent's expertise when it comes to hunting I'd still be happier if you kept yourself away from it," Deucalion explained. Strangely enough what he had just said about Chris seemed to be true but it wasn't all that surprising. She was with him when Gerard attacked them and he knew her father trusted him as well. "I'm serious, Kim. The Darach might want to use you against me and I can't let it happen."

Kim took a deep breath and quickly thought about it. "I'll say yes on one very important term: I can keep working with Chris. You want me in the penthouse? Fine, but I won't sit out this mess, don't even think about it."

"No."

"Then I'll stay with Peter," she replied nonchalantly as she stood up, ready to leave.

His hand reached for her arm to stop her. "You'll call me every two hours so I know you're okay," he started seriously, "and you'll move in tonight."

"Deal. But you have to leave Peter out of this. No revenge for me being with him," she clarified.

"Kim."

"Duke, I'm serious."

Letting out a sigh in defeat, the alpha stood up and nodded before gently kissing her forehead. "Alright," he said before leaving the clinic.

That was it. He simply left and Kim was standing there, trying to figure out what was happening. Of course, she had just agreed to move into an apartment full of alphas. If it wasn't the definition of suicide she didn't know what else could be. Shaking her head she walked back to Deaton who was waiting for hear but before she could say anything they heard someone shout outside.

Once silence fell on the clinic again, she leaned her hip against an empty table and asked, "Why were you so sure he wouldn't hurt me?"

"Because you're important to him," he replied as if that was so obvious. "I remember the last time the two of you were here. We saw you with Talia and she agreed that he loved you. He still does, I believe."

"It doesn't matter anymore."

Deaton folded his arms over his chest, his brown eyes set on her. "Do you love him?"

"Like I said, it doesn't matter," she replied with a shrug.

"It does, Kim, because it would give you the power to distract him long enough to give us some time if we needed it."

Power? There was no way only loving him could be enough, especially when the loved one was a total psychopath. "Deaton, even if he loves me he can go all crazy and hurt me," she replied. "Don't get me wrong, I know why helping you is important, but I don't exactly want to die yet."

The doc laughed. "You don't understand, do you? He doesn't only love you, this feeling is much deeper. Tell me what happened the last time you were here," he added after a short break.

"You said you and Talia had seen it all."

"We didn't see everything and what I want to hear is what you felt back then while you were talking to him. You had just found out that your father was dead yet you didn't fall apart right away. What happened?"

Kim looked around. This place had barely changed since that day. Back then Deucalion was standing right where she was now, waiting for Deaton with fear and confusion on his mind. Even though the others were there with him she saw it wasn't good enough, that their presence in some way only made it worse for him. After they left him alone Kim walked in to talk to him and upon seeing the expression on his face she knew something was wrong.

"Well, the moment I saw him I knew something was wrong," she said out loud, avoiding Deaton's gaze. "I knew my father was dead but at the same time I was happy to see he was alive. I... I don't know he just made me forget about the loss of my father and everything else for a while. Something was clouding my mind or I don't know Deaton," she snapped as tears streamed down her cheek. "I didn't understand it back then and I don't understand it now. All I know is that he was terrified and I didn't know how I could help him."

Deaton didn't say anything for a while, only watched as Kim wiped away the tears with her hand. She wanted to leave but she respected him enough to stay and wait for him. After what seemed to be an eternity, he finally spoke up.

"If I'm right, if we were right with Talia that day," he corrected himself, "this is exactly how he feels around you. He would protect you at all costs because defending you is now a part of his nature."

A part of his nature, she repeated in herself. "What does that supposed to mean?

"You are, as you would say in the case of a real wolf as well, his mate. I have no idea what was going on between the two of you but it had a very strong effect on him. And this is exactly why and how you can help."

"I don't think I can do it, Deaton," she said while shaking her head. "He makes me weak and I'm afraid if I spend a lot of time with him I'll fail you all. I'm going to move into the penthouse but helping... I don't know if it could work."

"Lao Tzu once said, '_being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage_'. It's true and this is why I'm sure you'll be alright," he replied.

Kim closed her eyes and sighed in defeat.

* * *

**Author's note:** Thank you all for the support. I don't even know what to say because the finale was PERFECT for this story so yay! All the Deucalion feels. In the next chapter we will say goodbye to Peter for a while because now comes Deucalion - finally.

Anyway, meanwhile, and terribly slowly, I'm working on the next chapter of my other fanfic, _The human in monster disguise_. There will be a time jump but at least Coach will make his appearance - and there will be a little twist in who he is.


	7. Chapter 7

After the conversation with Deucalion Kim had no other choice but to go back to Peter's and pack her things. She didn't want to tell him the truth yet, so even though he was asking her why she was nervous the woman only shook her head and went back to packing her clothes into the suitcase. Talking would have made everything worse and she hated it. She hated herself for acting like this.

When Peter put his hand on her shoulder she only shrugged it off. "No, don't... don't touch me."

He had enough because he roughly grabbed her arm and turned her around to make her look at him. "What's going on?" he asked seriously.

"Nothing, I'm just-" she started but didn't know what to say next. "I need some space so I'll stay in a hotel for a few days," she lied.

"Kim, talk to me."

"I can't do this."

"What? Stop talking in riddles, damn it," Peter snapped at her angrily.

Kim sat on the edge of the bed, soon followed by the man who pushed the suitcase aside to sit next to her. She was staring at her hands, looking for the best way to fill him in. "I can't stay around you because if I do, he'll kill you," she said quietly.

"He as in Deucalion?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"He wants to separate you from us so you can't help?"

"He wants to separate me from you, Peter."

Peter turned to her with a frown. He seemed a bit confused and she couldn't blame him for that. "Why would he want that?"

"Because he's kinda obsessive at the moment when it comes to me," she said.

"Did I miss something?"

There were so many things she could say to explain the situation, to make him understand that she was just as confused as he was. Part of him still loved Duke and it would probably stay this way for the rest of her life, but her relationship with Peter was now mature. Sex wasn't the only thing that worked between them and there were no doubts about the relationship, whether or not it had the possibility to last.

"All I'm saying is," she started slowly, "that I can get close to him and, if Deaton is right, he couldn't hurt me, even if he wanted to. You guys need information and maybe I can get, but I'll need to stay away from you."

Peter didn't say anything but his expression told her the only thing he wanted to say was something like 'bullshit'. His blue eyes were watching her and she wondered if he was planning to blink at all in the near future. "That's not gonna happen," he finally stated.

"Peter, please," she said with a sigh.

Once again her words were followed by silence but at least now it didn't last long because he leaned forward and kissed her with his hand around her neck. "If anything happens, you'll call me right away." She nodded. "Okay, let's finish packing and I'll give you a ride to his place."

* * *

Her brain knew it better than her heart. In a nanosecond the command shot through her entire body, making her stiffen and freeze in fear. Deucalion was a predator, a psychopath who killed everyone who got into his way. But her heart kept whispering, telling her he wouldn't hurt her while also recalling Deaton's words about being the Alpha's mate.

Hopefully it would only take a couple of days until she finally found a way to get out of the penthouse for good. The entire situation was fucked up since it had been Deucalion himself who once advised her to give that guy a try and go on a proper date with him. The guy whose name was Peter Hale and who she met during a concert he attended with Laura and Derek.

And now there they were, Deucalion threatening her with Peter's life so she would stay with him. It was insane and irrational but there was nothing she could do. She wanted Peter to be safe and she also understood that Deucalion only wanted to keep her around to make sure she was okay. Kim looked around but there was no sign of anyone else being at home. Her heartbeat or breathing probably gave her because the Alpha took a step closer to her and put a hand on her back.

"Take a deep breath and try to calm down, Kimberly," he said calmly as he leaned down. "We are alone for now."

"Oh, good to know," she replied sarcastically before stepping away from him. "That really makes me feel better."

Deucalion let out a tired sigh. "You're safe," he told her, not moving from his previous spot. "I don't want you to be afraid of me. The only reason why I don't want you around-"

"If you dare to bring up Peter, Duke, I'm leaving."

He didn't say anything so Kim nodded and left to the room she was staying in. When she had stepped into the penthouse he told her he would leave for a few hours in the evening and her plan was now to hide in her room until it was safe to come out. Very mature, she knew, but at the moment this was the only idea she had: taking a book out of her bag and reading until she heard the front door closing.

After Deucalion left that evening, Kim sat down in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and some cereal, her elbows resting on the counter as she stared out of the window. She enjoyed the silence and wished it would stay this way. Just a little longer; long enough to figure out what to do now. Even though she felt better around Deucalion than she had a few hours ago, Peter's absence created a weird void in inside her.

Kim glanced down at her phone trying to decide whether or not she should call him, but before she could do anything someone sat on the barstool next to her. It was Aiden and she couldn't help but stiffened because of his presence. He flashed a strange smile at her. She would have sworn he was trying to be nice.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said. "You're important to him so I don't think he would appreciate it and he told us that you'll stay for a while. You know, I've known him for a while now but I don't remember seeing him be this concern about someone."

The teenager rested his chin on his hands as he watched her. Kim took a sip of her coffee before saying, "I'm getting real tired of his concern. How did you two meet him?" she asked to change the subject.

Aiden took a deep breath then reached for the box of cereal she left on the counter. "He taught us how to stand out for ourselves and how to protect ourselves from our previous pack," he explained quietly. "Ever since we joined his pack Deucalion has been looking out for us."

"Sounds like him," she noted with a small laugh.

"What about you?"

"He knew my father. Duke was obviously the only Alpha around and my dad shared his ideas about a world where hunters and werewolves don't necessarily have to kill each other. Anyway, I went for a run one night when I was seventeen and as a foolish teenager I took the full moon a little bit lightly."

* * *

_It was the full moon but Kim didn't take it too seriously. They hadn't had werewolf problems lately; no raging Betas or Omegas could be found this time of the month so she went for a run to fill her lungs with the chilly late night air without the slightest hint of worry. Mile after mile she felt better and got perfectly lost in the music she was listening to, the steady beat helping her through the moment when she wanted to give in to the pain in her leg._

_But she went on, running on the dimly lit street with her eyes and mind focusing on the route she had planned before starting. Kim didn't notice anything because for her the streets were empty. Then suddenly something pushed her side so hard she fell on the rough asphalt, the earplugs coming out of her ear so she heard the deep growl from way too close._

_A werewolf; its eyes turned to Kim again with the bright yellow glow and even after years of training, her body froze out of the most basic survival instinct. She wasn't used to facing Betas, not like this, since her father had always told her the only Alpha around was keeping his Betas in control. Maybe it's an Omega, she thought as she managed to make her body move, crawling backwards to build some distance between them._

_The werewolf took a step closer and the growls became deeper and fiercer. She was about to attack and Kim had nothing with her she could use as a weapon. Every single moment felt like an eternity, her heartbeat became so fast and loud that she could not only feel but hear it as well, and the werewolf was slowly walking closer. This was the end, she couldn't survive the attack._

_The next thing she knew was the pain she felt when the sharp claws dag deep into her side, the once perfect skin now torn up and bleeding badly as a loud scream escaped her lips. The pain was unbearable and werewolf struck again, but at least this time it ended in a shallow cut on the side of her neck. She opened her mouth and flashed the long canines, ready to attack before a terrifying growl interrupted her._

_Kim watched as the werewolf quickly moved away, her yellow eyes set on something across the street. The young hunter followed her gaze and noticed the pair of red eyes which meant the werewolf that attacked her was a Beta. She wanted to move but couldn't because every time she moved even an inch a sharp pain shot through her body thanks to the wound on her side. The Beta quickly ran away when the other members of her pack appeared next to the Alpha._

_"Marco, get her and make sure she doesn't hurt anyone else," he gave out the order without hesitation, and the others left to do as he said._

_Then he ran over to her, kneeling down and very slowly reaching his hand to take a look at the wound. Kim didn't move and decided to keep watching his face instead of glancing down at her side because she didn't want to throw up and, to be fair, his face was a much better sight at the moment. The Alpha's green eyes found hers for a moment, his eyebrows raised in confusion before he took off his jacket, followed by the shirt he used as a temporary bandage to stop the bleeding. Kim gulped, maybe a little too loud for a werewolf at the sight of his muscular and perfectly toned upper body._

_"Enjoying the view?" he asked with a small smirk as he put on his jacket and pulled up the zipper._

_"Since my side is bleeding and it hurts as hell, I guess it's safe to say it's one of the best painkiller's I've ever had the fortune to come across," she replied quickly._

_He let out a laugh and looked at her side once again. "You'll live," he stated before looking up at her. "Won't you ask me what has just happened here?"_

_Kim wanted to shrug but it ended in a wince. "A Beta went full-on crazy during the full moon," she replied. "Yeah, I know about werewolves and I'd really, really appreciate if you called my parents or gave me a ride home."_

_Soon she managed to find her phone and gave it to the werewolf who took it with a questioning look on his face. "What's your name? It wouldn't be bad if I knew before calling your parents."_

_"I'm Kimberly Thorne, but dial my dad to skip the introduction part of the conversation. And if I remember correctly you're Deucalion."_

_"Your father is Adrian Thorne?" After she nodded, he went on while his eyes were looking at the small screen. "I knew I've already seen you somewhere."_

_She watched as he dialed and waited for an answer. Kim tried to keep her eyes open, but her eyelids were too heavy and she was tired, so she slowly lied down on the ground, only to have a few minutes of sleep. That wasn't much. The darkness was so inviting as if it could ease the pain or even take it all away for a while._

_"Kim, don't fall asleep! Kim, plea- Adrian," he said when there was an answer from the other end of the line, "it's Deucalion. Kim was attacked by one of my Betas, I'm so sorry... No, she's fine. There's a wound on her side but she'll be okay... I can, but my apartment is much closer and she needs to sleep so she can stay there if you don't mind... Yes, I'll make sure she's okay, don't worry."_

_Kim kept her eyes closed but she was still awake and heard everything. She heard when the Alpha reached out to carefully scoop her up, telling her that everything will be alright and she can sleep when they got back to his apartment. But she fell asleep almost right away, falling into the inviting and restful darkness._

* * *

**Author's note:** While I was writing the flashback part I came to the conclusion that their past deserves a story of its own. And, of course, it would include what happened with Peter back then. Anyway I hoped you liked it and don't be afraid to tell me what you think.


	8. Chapter 8

_Aqualung - Strange & Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You)_

* * *

**Author's note:** This song inspired me to write this chapter. Without this, there would be no new chapters for a while. (Thank you, dear writer's block, and I blame you for this short and crappy chapter.)

* * *

"All I'm saying is," Kim insisted as she put on the thin bolero above the dress with his help, "that you keep telling me I'm safe here and you'll protect me from whatever danger you can think of, but in reality I'm nothing more but a prisoner."

He couldn't believe she had seriously said that. "No, you're not," he assured her, letting his hands rest on her shoulder for just a few more seconds. Her heart was beating faster after he touched her and he loved to hear that sound. It meant she was alive and well, and right now he would have gone to a great length to keep her safe. Did he overreact this? Maybe, but he couldn't care.

Ever since she had moved into the penthouse, her scent was all around the place and it slowly drove him insane, testing his patience over and over again. Deucalion honestly wanted her to love him; he wanted to see the same look in her eyes he hadn't seen since she was a teenager. Back when she was struggling with her schoolgirl crush on him.

When Kim took a step away from him, and he felt his hands slowly slip off her shoulders, he was snapped back to reality. "Yes, I am!" she exclaimed desperately. "Even though we agreed I can work with Chris you _always_ find a reason to keep me from doing what I want. Days, Duke. It had been long days since I left this goddamn place."

"This is exactly why we're going out for dinner," he said calmly.

"Dinner won't solve anything and you know that. Why can't you trust me when I say I can defend myself?"

She made him feel weak and humble when her words almost drew a series of sorry out of him in response. "Kimberly, it's not about you not being able to defend yourself," he started, hoping she would understand that he didn't want to hurt or patronize her. "The Darach probably knows about your connection to us and I can't risk losing you again."

"Again? The last time you 'lost me' because you turned into this homicidal monster," she shouted.

"Can we stop talking about all this?"

"Avoiding the topic won't solve the problem, you know."

"I'm aware of that, thank you, but now I'd like to have a nice evening with you without these ridiculous fights about what's happening around us."

"How romantic."

Deucalion put his hands on the back of his neck as he tried to understand her. "Why are you doing this to me?" he asked quietly. If he could only took those few steps to look into her eyes without infra-red, without making her know there was a way he could see. Just one look; convincing her probably wouldn't take more.

"Why are you keeping me locked up?" she asked and her voice was surprisingly soft.

After taking a deep breath, he asked, "Kimberly, do you want me to beg you to drop it for tonight?"

"Would you really do that?"

"I would, but only because I love you," he admitted. It was true; it was all true. For this woman he, the feared Alpha, the Demon Wolf, would even drop to his knees and beg her since his emotions clouded his mind lately.

Deucalion heard the woman's soft sobbing as she tried not to cry. If things weren't so complicated between them he would pull her into a hug without hesitation. He had done that before and it always worked. "I don't believe you," she said hoarsely. "I don't think you're capable of honestly loving anyone except yourself."

Honesty was a trait he greatly respected in a person, but this time he had no idea how to react. It was shocking, really; finding out she really did see him as a monster and didn't know how much he loved her. Within a second he made his final decision and let his eyes turn bright red as he walked over to her and sank his claws deep into the back of her neck.

* * *

_Deucalion knew it was Kimberly's last day before she packed her belongings in her car and left to start her new life as a university student. He hoped his sunglasses would hide his bright red eyes, but he had no other choice but using his werewolf sight. There was no way he would let her leave without seeing her for the last time for God knows how long. Maybe he was becoming obsessed with her lately, yes, and maybe he was thinking about ways to keep her around. _

_With whatever had been happening to him, keeping her close, using her as a living, breathing anchor seemed undeniably important. Probably she had no idea how much he needed her now, but Deucalion was more intelligent than to try and force her to stay. Even if he had thought about the possibility of turning her into a werewolf, he couldn't do it. _

_He had already killed two of his Betas and there was no proof he wouldn't kill her as well. If losing her like this hurt so much, killing her would probably kill him as well. So now all he could do was watching her in infra-red, following her all day long just to see if she was okay. Kim spent the rest of the day meeting friends she was about to leave behind in a small coffee before walking around the city for the last time. Once she was alone again on a small playground, Deucalion thought about talking to her. _

_One last time, one last try to see if she was willing to talk to him again so he could say goodbye. She was sitting on the grass, her eyes glued to the ground in front of her while she was playing with the necklace he had given her for her birthday a few months ago. Now that she was alone Kim didn't look happy and he hated it; he hated see her like this because he loved her smile. _

_Long minutes later a familiar scent alarmed his senses - it was a werewolf. The moment he spotted him Deucalion knew the werewolf was a Beta of his, another man he used to trust before the incident in Beacon Hills. The closer he walked to Kim, the stronger the Alpha's protective instinct became, and he didn't hesitate to attack when the other man got too close to the girl. _

_The Beta wasn't strong enough to have a chance against him. One quick move to break his neck and that was it - the man collapsed on the ground. From where she was sitting, Kimberly didn't see it and had no idea what happened. He knew it was better this way. She deserved a normal life, one she could never have by his side._

* * *

Kimberly's breathing was heavy and her wide eyes were watching him after he pulled out his claws. "Oh my God," she said slowly. "You killed him because of me."

"I was protecting you," he corrected her quietly.

"But... Duke, why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't want to see me and I respected your wish enough to stay away from you."

He watched her take a step forward. There she stopped, thought for a moment, then stepped back. Just when he thought she would soon turn around and leave the penthouse, Kim looked up at him and said, "I love you."

"What?"

This time there was no hesitation. She took a deep breath and she walked up to him, putting her hands on the back of his neck as she kissed him. It didn't last long, but it was still long enough to make him understand she meant every single word. "I love you," she repeated quietly after she pulled away. "I was a real bitch when I pushed you away. I mean, who knows, if I stayed by your side and helped you, maybe you wouldn't be who you are now."

"Don't blame yourself, Kim," he whispered into her hair after she buried her face in his chest.

"I'm not blaming myself, I'm just thinking." she replied. "But... you could see. You _can_ see!"

"Only as a werewolf but at least there's a way I can see you.

Deucalion knew it didn't mean things were back to the way they used to be before. Still, she knew a part of the truth, and probably now understood why he wanted her to stay so badly. And she loved him. These three words meant everything at the moment, gave him back the hope he had lost a long time ago.

* * *

**Author's note:** Thank you guys for the reviews, favs and alerts! There's a poll on my profile and it will stay for a while. About this chapter: it's bad, I'm aware of that and I'm sorry, but I've been under a lot of stress in the last couple of days and the writer's block decided to stick around for a while. Anyway, I hope you could enjoy this chapter.


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